A mounting ring for a loudspeaker. The ring is frictionally fitted into a panel such as a wall or the interior panel of a vehicle. The loudspeaker is secured in the ring.
In architectural loudspeaker installations loudspeaker drivers are installed into the interior and inside walls of buildings. The existing practice involves the use of a subassembly baffle to which one or more drivers are mounted. The baffle is then attached to the wall by means of assembly to a rough-in box which has been placed inside the wall. The rough-in box is a structural frame which requires an opening in the wall approximating the size of the baffle subassembly.
In the installation of loudspeakers in vehicles particularly in the aftermarket, holes are formed in the panels and a support structure is secured in the hole by fasteners, typically threaded fasteners. The loudspeaker is then secured to the support structure, again usually by threaded fasteners. This method of installation is time consuming and costly.
A vibration (resonant frequency) in the form of very low amplitude, omni-directional motion is naturally present in any building or vehicle. This frequency is present at varying levels from as low as 1 Hz up to 1000 Hz. When speakers are hard mounted into a wall or panel, these frequencies migrate to the speaker walls and interfere with the audio design frequencies of the speaker.
The present invention provides a significant improvement to the installation of either architectural or vehicular speakers by eliminating the rough-in box. An opening only the size needed to fit the ring is required. The elimination of the rough-in box greatly reduces installation time and labor. Additional benefits are a smaller (minimal) footprint for a cleaner look. The ring can also provide for integral attachment of the grill. The present invention isolates the speaker from the resonant frequency of the wall or panel in which it is mounted.
In installing a loudspeaker in the panel of a vehicle, a circular hole of the proper circumference is cut into the door panel forming a circular opening. The wires for the speaker can be xe2x80x98fishedxe2x80x99 in the usual way, such as using a snake. The ring or speaker is inserted in the door panel. After the rings have been secured, the speaker is secured in the ring.
The present invention comprises a surface mount ring assembly for loudspeakers. The ring is received and secured in an opening solely by frictional engagement. The loudspeaker is received and secured in the ring solely by frictional engagement. The opening can be in any flat surface, wall, vehicular door panel etc. The ring isolates the speaker from the inherent resonance frequency in the structure in which the speaker is mounted.
Broadly the invention embodies a mounting ring assembly for speakers. The ring assembly comprises a xe2x80x98hardxe2x80x99 sleeve or ring in which the speaker is secured. This ring could be any suitable material, metal, polymeric material or the like. This sleeve in turn is secured to a resilient or xe2x80x98softxe2x80x99 ring which ring is secured in the wall opening. The ring may either be a ring such as described in my parent application as the xe2x80x98inner ringxe2x80x99 or a sleeve-like ring. Either the inner or outer surfaces of the ring are roughened, preferably both surfaces, to enhance both the frictional engagement of the ring in the wall opening and to the sleeve which secures the speaker. Also, the composition of the ring per se has inherent xe2x80x98adhesivexe2x80x99 characteristics to further enhance the engagement of the components one to the other.
The speaker, generally comprises a sleeve having a back end and a front end. When assembled, the speaker/ring/sleeve and/or grill form an integrally mounted assembly with the following characteristics, the speaker is firmly mounted to a xe2x80x98wallxe2x80x99, the speaker is isolated from the inherent resonance in the wall by the ring. The xe2x80x98softxe2x80x99 ring has a durometer of between 30 to 90 and a dynamic loss modulus of about 1010 Dynes/cm2 at 100 to 1000 Hz. The xe2x80x98hardxe2x80x99 sleeve can have a stiffness similar to polyvinyl chloride pipe or conduits. This ensures compression among the sleeve/ring/wall acts essentially only on the ring.